An occurrence that many thought they would never see the light of day. Starting in 2024, the all-important SAT will no longer be the SAT that Class of ‘23 and under knew, now turning completely digital. Yet another divide strikes down on the underclassmen and upperclassmen of not just North Atlanta, but the entire nation. Many juniors and seniors have grown envious of their younger peers due to the news of the test’s major upcoming modification. The nearing end of their high school careers has canceled out their chances of experiencing this desired makeover.

Administered by the College Board, the Scholastic Assessment Test is a test high schoolers take to measure their skills. SAT scores are often sent to the college of choice for a high school student in order to show colleges what they can do and prove their worth. With a test duration of three hours – not including the underwhelming breaks – sitting still in a room with just a pencil, paper, and a calculator isn’t the ideal setting for future college freshmen. Even before the important day comes preparation, the amount of which depends on the test taker. Scheduling and paying for the test, studying, and even buying tutoring services are the struggles that teenagers have to endure as they strive to get the best score possible. “I spent a decent amount to get a private tutor to meet with me for two to three hours a week just so I can do well on this test,” says junior Caroline Feagin.

While juniors and seniors at North Atlanta share the common ordeal of the present-day admissions test, freshman and sophomores will be the first to encounter this revolutionary change later down the road. By then, the SAT will be dramatically different from what we always knew: two hours long and completely rid of the long associated paper and pencil, it will be given to takers digitally. This digital replacement will provide a calculator on the entirety of the math section. The 60 minute time reduction mostly amounts to the shortening of reading passages, paving way for longer time to answer. “I’ve taken the SAT and it was not fun. Maybe I’ll be around to see the convenience of the new one,” says sophomore Tori Sadler.

As the saying goes, with time comes change. The rapid development of technology in the world has done enough to cause a shift from physical to digital test taking. Maybe, upperclassmen will be able to live through a similar educational change in their life after high school, but for now, underclassmen can reap the benefits of what older Dubs couldn’t experience.